VT: Charges Dropped Against Independent Gubernatorial Candidate Who Disrupted Debate

Back in April, independent candidate for governor of Vermont, Dennis Steele, was arrested for disrupting a debate from which he was excluded.  Those charges have been dropped, but his appearance in court led to a significant amount of local press.  From the Rutland Herald:

He couldn't get a word in edgewise at the gubernatorial candidates forum where he was arrested for disorderly conduct in April.  At his scheduled arraignment in Vermont District Court early Thursday afternoon, everyone suddenly wanted to hear what Independent candidate for governor Dennis Steele had to say.

Steele, a fifth-generation Kirby native and U.S. Army veteran, entered the Main Street courthouse expecting to plead innocent to charges stemming from his alleged disruption of a union-organized debate at the Old Labor Hall. But Washington County State's Attorney Tom Kelly had opted to not to file the charge.  "It was a good arrest," Kelly said, "but we've got a lot to deal with here and I didn't think it merited the court's time."